Can piercing tongs



Sept. 20, 1955 s. POLLACK ET AL 2,718,054

ICAN PIERCING TONGS Filed Jan. 11, 1954 /6 23 3 I I a I 32 I 24 If 7 l /6 3 25 6y {7 M INVENTORS:

United States Patent CAN PIERCING TONGS Sol Pollack, Newark, and Peter B. Korda, Elizabeth, N. J.

Application January 11, 1954, Serial No. 403,160

4 Claims. (Cl. 30-10) This invention relates to an improved hand implement for piercing the top of a can, whereby to provide the can with a pouring perforation.

This invention has for an object to provide a novel simple and inexpensive construction of hand manipulatable implement of tongs like form that is operative to quickly and easily perforate a can top, so as to form a pouring opening therein through which the fluid content of the can may be dispensed.

The invention has for another object to provide a can piercing implement of hand manipulatable tongs type formed by a pair of pivotally connected lever members, each provided with a handle arm for cooperatively actuating the same; one said lever member having a can supporting jaw operative to support a can to be pierced in opposition to the can piercing jaw with which the other lever member is provided.

The invention has for a further object to provide a can piercing implement of hand manipulatable tongs type, wherein the lever member having the can piercing jaw may be selectively pivotally connected to the lever memher having the can supporting jaw in one position to dispose the same relative to the latter for operation upon a large or full size can, or in another or reversed position whereby to dispose the same for operation upon a small or half size can.

The above and other objects will be understood from a reading of the following detailed description of this invention in connection with the accompanying drawings, in which:

Fig. l is a side elevational view of the hand manipulatable tongs type can piercing implement according to this invention and showing the same with its lever member having the can piercing jaw disposed for operation upon a large or full size can; and Fig. 2 is a top plan view of the same.

Fig. 3 is a view similar to that of Fig. 1, but showing the implement with its lever member having the can pierci rig jaw reversed and thereby disposed for operation upon a small or half size can.

Similar characters of reference are employed in the above described views, to indicate corresponding parts.

Referring to the drawings, the can piercing implement of this invention comprises a can supporting lever member and a can piercing lever member 11, said lever members being pivotally interconnected in a hand manipulatable tongs like relation. Said lever members may be produced from flat strip metal stock or from sheet metal stampings of suitable gauge, and preferably from steel. The can supporting lever member 10 comprises a substantially perpendicular main body 12 which terminates at its lower end in a forwardly projecting offsetting arm 13 angular thereto, the latter terminating in a downwardly directed extension 14. Connected with the lower end of the extension 14, preferably by a twisted section 15 so as to be integral therewith, is a forwardly extending horizontal can supporting jaw 16. The offsetting arm 13 and its extension 14 provides a forwardly projecting shoulder, the forward edge 17 of which forms a stop against which the side of a can upstanding upon the supporting jaw 16 may be abutted, so as to determine the proper location of said can upon said supporting jaw subject to the piercing operation of the implement. The upper end of the main body 12 of the can sup porting lever member 10 terminates in a rearwardly projecting arm 18 angular thereto, the outer portion of which is suitably shaped and furnished to provide a handle arm or hand grip 19.

The can piercing lever member 11 is pivotally connected across the main body 12 of the can supporting lever member 10 in adjacently spaced relation to and below the arm 18 and handle arm or hand grip 19 of the latter. The can piercing lever member 11 is provided at its forward end portion with an angular offsetting section 20 which terminates in a forwardly extending can piercing jaw 21, the latter being provided at its free end with angularly and oppositely projecting sharp piercing cutters 22 and 23. The can piercing jaw 21 is of a length so predetermined as to dispose said piercing cutters somewhat forwardly beyond the line of the can stop 17 of the can supporting lever member 10, so that, when the implement is actuated, the operative piercing cutter will engage and perforate the top of a supported can close to the edge or rim of the can top, to thus locate the pouring opening formed thereby close to said edge or rim. The can piercing lever member 11 is provided with a rearwardly projecting arm 24 to normally extend adjacently parallel to the arm 18 and handle arm or hand grip H of the can supporting lever member 10, the outer portion of said arm 24 being also suitably shaped and furnished to provide a handle arm or hand grip 25.

The means for pivotally interconnecting the can piercing lever member 11 with the can supporting lever member 10 is of such character as to permit release and detachment of the former from the latter when desired. To this end, the pivotal connection may comprise a pivot bolt or nut 26, as shown, or it may merely comprise a pivot stud aflixed to one said lever member for detachable engagement by the other said lever member, or any other suitable pivoting arrangement may be provided.

In the use of the implement, assuming it is desired to operate upon a large or full size can C, the can piercing lever member 11 is so pivotally connected to the can supporting lever member 10 that the offsetting section 20 of the former is disposed in upwardly extending disposition, thus spacing the can piercing jaw 21 at a maximum distance above the can supporting jaw 16 of the latter, whereby the large or full size can C may be interposed between said jaws, with its top end opposed to the piercing cutter 22 of said piercing jaw. With the implement thus arranged, the large can C is stood upright upon the can supporting jaw 16, with its side stopped against the stop 17, thus presenting the can top end beneath the piercing cutter 22 (see Fig. l). The can being thus supported, the operator grasps the hand grips 19 and 25, and presses the same one toward the other, thereby moving the can piercing jaw 20 toward the can supporting jaw 16, and thus forcing the piercing cutter 22 to engage and cut through the can top. This having been done, the can piercing lever member is upswung to Withdraw the piercing cutter 22, whereupon the opened can C may be removed, and its content dispensed through the pouring opening thus formed therein.

If it is desired to operate upon a small or half size can C, the can piercing lever member 11 is detached from the can supporting lever member 10, and thereupon reversed and returned to pivotal connection with the latter, so that the offsetting section 20 of the former is disposed in downwardly extending disposition, thereby spacing the can piercing jaw 21 at a minimum distance above the can supporting jaw 16, whereupon. the small can C may be interposed between said jaws, with its top end opposed to the now operative piercing cutter 23 of the piercing jaw (see Fig. 3). The implement is then operated in the manner already above described to provide said small can with the desired pouring opening.

From the above, it will now be obvious that a very simple and easily hand manipulated can piercing implement of a tongs like form is provided by the instant invention, the same being readily adaptable for selective use upon either large or small size cans.

It'may also be pointed out, if the implement is to be used to open cans of milk or prepared food for infant feeding, the can piercing jaw, being readily detachable, may, when detached, be conveniently subjected to sterilizing treatment before use is made thereof.

Having now described our invention, we claim:

1. A can piercing implement comprising a can supporting lever member formed by a substantially perpendicular main body provided at its lower end with a single forwardly extending horizontal can supporting jaw, a can piercing lever member detachably pivotally connected to and for extension across the main body of said can supporting lever member and formed to provide a forwardly extending can piercing jaw angularly offset therefrom in the plane thereof, and said lever members being respectively provided with rearwardly extending handle arms for cooperatively manipulating the same.

2. A can piercing implement comprising a can supporting lever member formed by a substantially perpendicular main body provided at its lower end with a single forwardly extending can supporting jaw, said main body having a forwardly offset can stop shoulder intermediate the same and its can supporting jaw, a can piercing lever member detachably pivotally connected to and for extension across the main body of the can supporting lever member, and formed to provide a forwardly extending can piercing jaw angularly offset therefrom in the plane thereof, said can piercing jaw having angularly projecting sharp can piercing cutter means, and said lever members being respectively provided with rearwardly extending handle arms for cooperatively manipulating the same.

3. A can piercing implement comprising a can supporting lever member formed by a substantially perpendicular main body provided at its lower end with a single forwardly extending horizontal can supporting jaw, a can piercing lever member detachably pivotally connected to and for extension across the main body of said can supporting lever member, the forward arm of the can piercing lever member having an angularly offset portion in the plane thereof which terminates in a forwardly extending can piercing jaw, said can piercing lever member being adapted to be selectively attached by its pivotal connection with the main body of the can supporting lever member either with its offset portion upwardly directed to dispose the can piercing jaw in maximum spaced opposition to the can supporting jaw for operation upon a large size can or with said offset portion downwardly directed to dispose the can piercing jaw in minimum spaced opposition to the can supporting jaw for operation upon a small size can, and said lever members being respectively provided with rearwardly extending handle arms for cooperatively manipulating the same.

4. A can piercing implement as defined in claim 3, wherein the main body of the can supporting lever member is provided with a forwardly offset can stop shoulder intermediate the same and its can supporting jaw.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 1,432,840 Cordum Oct. 24, 1922 

